ACCESS REPORT 2006/2008
ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR CHINESE PROGRAMMES REPORT (2006/2008)
CONTENT PAGE
Introduction Page 2 a. Background b. The Committee’s Work
Observation and Overview on the Range and Quality of Page 3 Chinese Programmes a. News b. Current Affairs, Cultural and Info-Educational Programmes c. Programmes for the Elderly d. Dramas e. Variety and Entertainment Programmes f. Children and Youth Programmes
Dialogues with Independent Production Houses; Newspaper Page 6 Editors; Social Workers; Students and Radio Broadcaster a. Industry Perspective: Dialogue with Independent Production Houses b. Community Perspective: Dialogue with Newspaper Editors, Social Workers and Students c. Dialogue with SAFRA Radio regarding its Bilingual Radio Format on 88.3JIA FM
Key Recommendations Page 8 a. News b. Current Affairs, Cultural and Info-Educational Programmes c. Programmes for the Elderly d. Dramas e. Variety and Entertainment Programmes f. Children and Youth Programmes g. Better Scheduling of Programmes h. Recommendations for Radio Programmes i. Views on Programming Breaches
Conclusion Page 11
Annex A: List of Members Page 12 Annex B: Broadcasters’ Responses to the Report Page 14
1 ACCESS REPORT 2006/2008
INTRODUCTION a) Background
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1 The Advisory Committee on Chinese Programmes (ACCESS) [ ] was set up in 1994 to advise and feedback on the range and quality of Chinese programmes that are provided on Free-to-air Chinese TV channels and radio stations so as to enhance the broadcasters’ role to entertain, inform and educate the viewers. The Committee also gives counsel on Subscription TV Chinese programmes.
2 This report by ACCESS covers the period July 2006 to June 2008. The current Committee was appointed by the Minister for Information, Communication and the Arts (MICA) for a two-year term with effect from July 2006. The list of Committee members can be found in Annex A.
b) The Committee’s Work
3 The Committee undertook the following:
a. Reviewed and gave feedback on Chinese programming on Channels 8 and U, and the Chinese radio stations;
b. Reviewed and provided recommendations on the range and quality of Chinese programmes;
c. Reviewed and provided feedback on censorship issues, including those arising from public complaints; and
d. Advised the Media Development Authority (MDA) on content guidelines.
4 Under Associate Professor Lee Cheuk Yin’s chairmanship, the Committee held nine meetings between July 2006 to June 2008. In order to seek more views about local Chinese programmes from both the industry and the community, the Committee also held dialogue sessions with the Independent Production Houses, newspaper editors, social workers and students. In addition, ACCESS met with SAFRA Radio on its new bilingual (Mandarin and English) programming format which was introduced on the broadcaster’s Chinese radio station, 88.3JiaFM, in 2007.
5 The Committee also reviewed various genres of Chinese programmes to provide feedback to the broadcaster. Members of ACCESS formed several interest groups to monitor and assess the different genres, such as those for the Elderly, Variety and Entertainment programmes, Dramas, Children’s programmes, News and Info- Educational programmes.
6 Through email consultation, the Committee was also able to engage in timely discussions regarding programming and advertising issues which surfaced in between meetings. Beyond specific issues, the Committee provided feedback on MDA’s content guidelines, including those for Radio Sponsorship and Mobile Television content matters.
2 ACCESS REPORT 2006/2008
7 ACCESS’ views were also sought with regard to public feedback on programming breaches by the broadcasters. The Committee notes that a total of eight fines were imposed on the broadcasters for contravening MDA’s Codes and guidelines during 2006 to 2008, of which three were on the Chinese channels.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE RANGE AND QUALITY OF CHINESE PROGRAMMES
8 Overall, the Committee appreciates that both Channels 8 and U have strived to provide a wide range of locally produced programmes Programmes on food and entertainment continued to dominate the airtime. The Committee hopes to see a more balanced range of programmes made available, including Info-Educational, Children and Elderly programmes. a) News
9 The Committee applauds the introduction of real-time open captioning of the News Bulletins as it enables the deaf to follow the daily happenings in society through the subtitles, a move which allows the deaf to be better integrated into society as they are kept updated on current affairs.
10 At the same time, the Committee is of the view that the quality of News Bulletin could be further improved. Members observed that some newscasters not only made mistakes in their delivery of news, they also did not take the initiative to correct their mistakes on the spot. For example, when a newscaster mispronounced a road name or a person’s name, he/she continued to read on without rectifying the mistake immediately. ACCESS feels that this should be corrected as News Bulletins are an essential means for viewers to obtain important news and information. As such, it is pertinent that all reports that are disseminated should be as factual and accurate as possible.
11 ACCESS notes that the different News Bulletins are branded differently, i.e.
Channel 8’s News Bulletin - “ ” (Singapore Today) – shown at 6.30pm focuses
on local news, while “ ¨¢ ” (News 8 At Ten) contains more international news items. It, however, wishes to stress that there should be adequate coverage of both local and international news in all News Bulletins. This would enable viewers who tune into only one News Bulletin to be updated on all the relevant News happenings of the day. b) Current Affairs, Cultural and Info-educational Programmes
12 The Committee would like to commend Channel U for its efforts in showcasing
quality info-educational programmes during primetime slots. Programmes such as the "! #$
locally-produced “ ¦ ” (Find Me A Singaporean), “ ” (My Life, My -/. 0+1 Profession), “ %'&)(+* , ” (Lifewise), and “ ” (Celebrations) were well- researched and presented. These programmes were able to showcase interesting local
personalities “ 2435768¢9 ” (Of Rites and Rituals) was also able to feature different local and world cultures and traditions in a refreshing style.
13 Channel 8 was observed to have maintained its strength in producing Current @¢
Affairs programmes, such as the long-running series, “ :;= ” (Money Week), “ ”
EF GIHKJLM (Focus) and “ ACB=<¢D ” (Frontline). In addition programmes like “ : ” (TR
3 ACCESS REPORT 2006/2008
Report: Happy Century Old) and “ NOGPRQ ” (Twilight Years) were informative and insightful. The members, however feel that there is scope for new and engaging ideas to
be incorporated into programmes. For example, the morning talkshow on Channel 8, “ S TRU¤V ” (Good Morning Singapore) could be revamped to be more exciting to meet viewers’ expectations.
14 Acquired documentary series such as “ W?XY Z ” (Rediscovering the Yangtze
G_-+`Ca bOc_dfe4gf[ River), “ 68[]\C^ ’ (Rise of the Great Nation) and” : ” (Lecture
Room:3 Kingdoms) were excellent and rich in info-educational and historical value. npo
Similarly, the acquired travelogue series “ hji kflm6 ” (The World is so Big 3) and “ qr
6s ” (Taiwan Walker) were also well-researched and provided meaningful insights into different cultures and lifestyles across the world.
15 In particular, the Committee would like to commend the broadcaster for showing up-to-date programmes related to current events. These programmes include the Arts
and Cultural programme “ t4lu_v ?” (What's Art) which was shown in support of the
Singapore Biennale, and the programme “ wxKy]z4 ” (Olympic Walkers) which was shown as a lead up to the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games 2008.
c) Programmes for the Elderly
16 As in the past, the Committee notes there continues to be a lack of programmes catering for the elderly on both Channels 8 and U. ACCESS notes that with the rapidly aging population in Singapore, there is a need for the broadcaster to look into providing
more content catering for the increasing number of elderly viewers, beyond “ {¤|"}¤z ” (Golden Age) and the dialect operas which are offered currently. In addition, the Committee also notes that the broadcast timings of the traditional operas on Channel 8 were subject to frequent changes and might have caused much disruption to the viewing habits of the elderly viewers. d) Dramas
17 Overall, the Committee feels that the quality of local dramas has remained
consistent, covering a wide range of genres. These included thrillers, “ {|~ ” (The ¤ L
Golden Path) and “ gK ” (The Homecoming); the romantic series “ ” (Mars ¤.]
VS Venus), “ x¤ ” (Switched) and “ ” (Falling in Love) as well as wholesome
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family-oriented series such as “ KCK= ” (Like Father Like Daughter), “ · ” (The Greatest Love of All) and “ ¤-¢R[ ” (Honour and Passion). Channel 8’s “ ” (The Peak), in particular had an engaging storyline, which provided an interesting insight into the offshore, marine and maritime industry.
18 ACCESS notes that new timeslots had been introduced for locally produced dramas on Channel 8 to supplement existing slots, such as those on Mondays, 8pm to
9pm and Wednesdays, 8.30pm to 9pm. Dramas shown within these new timeslots, such 8K as “ 2435R ” (Our Rice House) and “ ” (Folks Jump Over the Wall), were well-produced and of high quality. The Committee finds these dramas heart-warming and engaging.
4 ACCESS REPORT 2006/2008
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19 The Committee observes that some local dramas, such as “ m ” (Kinship), “ ¤ ” (An Enchanted Life) and “ 6"¢L8£¢L ” (Measure of Man), had occasionally capitalised on inappropriate themes to gain more viewership. For example, the drama
serial “ m ” (Kinship) placed much prominence on undesirable values such as teenage delinquency and extra-marital affairs. The Committee acknowledges that while the drama ended on a positive note as the undesirable characters got their just rewards, members felt that viewers who do not watch the drama in its entirety could be misled.
20 The Committee finds that the theme of violence was exploited and
sensationalised within the Ch 8 drama, “ ¤ ¥"¦§ ” (Metamorphosis). In particular, there was an episode which had contained prolonged and intense scenes of violence and brutality towards women. This was unnecessary and could also instill fear in younger viewers, especially since it was scheduled during Family Viewing Hours. e) Variety and Entertainment Programmes
21 The Committee notes that the broadcaster had shown a more diverse range of variety and entertainment programmes on both Channel 8 and U.
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22 Travelogues such as “ ¨47©"hji ” (Adventure Clicks), “ ” (Lead Me On),
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“ 245]¬=¦®p 2” (My Star Guide 2) and “ 3” (Say It If You Dare), and
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lifestyle programmes like “Smart °±² ” (King of Thrift); “HDB 2” (HDB Tai Tai), “
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¸¤¹6?º» ¼¢¼_6¢½¾ ¤· ” (So Simple 2), “ ” (Buzzing Cashier), “ II” (Bartar Trade 2), were not only engaging and entertaining for viewers but also contained useful nuggets of information.
23 The Committee especially would like to applaud the broadcaster for introducing a
new concept in its programme “ ¿À]ÁÂ ” (I Cook for U). This programme had an interesting idea where chefs were given the opportunity to express their appreciation for people they admired. In particular, the head chef of Santaro restaurant, Chef Santaro Li, cooked for Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and his family, while the President of the Singapore Chefs Association, Chef Eric Teo, cooked for his lost-long friend of 30 years, who had helped him enormously in school.
=Á"£=Ä 24 Programmes such as “ Ã]Ä= ” (Beyond the Red Dot), “ ” (Code Red)
and “ ÅÇÆ7È ” (Wow Singapore) were able to showcase daily Singaporean sights, sounds and interesting local personalities in a refreshing and engaging manner. In
particular, “ Å=ÇÆjÈ ” (Wow Singapore) provided a unique take on Singaporean lifestyle, by engaging tourists to be part of the daily happenings in Singapore which are not commonly known to foreigners. This included visiting shops and hawker centres located at heartlands such as Toa Payoh and Bishan for an immersion into local culture.
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25 Info-tainment programmes such as “ ÉËÊ Law” (Law By Law), “ 2” (Get It
^Ó Ô4ÕpÖ]×¤Ø Ù8c¨Ú Right 2), “ ϤРÑ]Ò ” (Career Blueprint), “ ” (Taking Off ), “ ” (The
ABCs of Water), and “ Û Ü ÝKÞ ” (Dollar & Sense) were found to be both entertaining and informative by ACCESS. The Committee notes that they were able to impart useful knowledge and advice on issues ranging from legal matters, proper use of languages, building entrepreneurial spirit to water conservation and financial investment guides, in an easily-comprehensible manner.
5 ACCESS REPORT 2006/2008
26 On areas for improvement, the Committee observes that over the past two years, there has been a significant increase in the number of programmes sponsored by
various organisations such as beauty salons and slimming centres. These programmes â"·6äãå
include: “ ·"ßáàp- 3” (Beauty Experts 3), “ 2” (Citispa Beauty Perfection); éêë4ì “ADONIS ·Ræ]ç¢è ” (Adonis Beauty Chatterbox) and “ 25” (Jean Yip’s Beautiful 25). ACCESS is of the view that such programmes were too commercialised and served as another platform for the sponsors to publicise their products and services, instead of providing objective information to viewers. ACCESS therefore advises that programmes offering information should be more objective unless they are featured as informercials aired at appropriate times. f) Children and Youth Programmes
27 Children’s programmes continue to be lacking on Channels 8 and U. Currently, Chinese Children’s programmes are only available on weekend mornings on Channel 8, from 8am to 11am. This is severe shortfall as compared to English Children’s programmes which are available on Kids Central from 9am to 6.30pm on weekdays and from 8am to 1pm on weekends. Despite previous calls for more Chinese Children’s programmes, the Committee notes that such content is still not made available.
28 However, with regard to Children’s programmes available on Channel 8’s î¦ï¢ð
weekend children belt, the Committee feels that “ í, ... ” (Mindy’s Lost and
Ãô"õ ö ¢ Found), “ ñòOc_57óO¯ ” (City Fables), and “ ” (My Yummy Lunchbox) and “
54÷_ø8± ” (Money Meg) contained good info-educational content for children.
29 On Youth programmes, ACCESS finds “ ùRú)"û ” (Youth Decode), to be engaging and interesting in profiling youths and their aspirations.
30 In addition, the Committee is pleased with the commissioning of a new youth
programme series, " züËýRþf " (Chinese Language Challenge). As a result of
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ACCESS’ facilitation, the Chinese Language & Culture Fund ( ÿ ), together with MDA, commissioned the programme to enable secondary school students compete on their knowledge of Chinese language, idioms and culture. The 13-episode challenge was poised to be a mix between the English programmes, “The Arena” and
“Singapore’s Brainiest Kids”. The Committee commends host Guo Liang ( ¨ © ) for his professionalism in guiding and encouraging the students during the programme. The Committee hopes that such programmes which cater to the youths and promote Chinese culture will continue to be a staple on the Chinese channels at prime time.
DIALOGUE WITH INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION HOUSES, SOCIAL WORKERS, NEWSPAPER EDITORS AND STUDENTS.
31 The key findings and recommendations arising from ACCESS’ dialogue sessions with representatives from the local independent production houses and newspaper editors, social workers and students in 2007 are as follows:
6 ACCESS REPORT 2006/2008
a) Industry Perspective: Dialogue with Independent Production Houses
32 For the first time, besides the views from the broadcaster, the Committee also gained additional insights about the local Chinese media scene from its players. Representatives from several production houses informed that while they had wanted to venture into new or niche programme genres such as Children’s programmes or those for the Elderly, they have been limited by financial and manpower constraints. ACCESS feels that if more programmes could be outsourced to the independent production houses, there would be more creative ideas, leading to greater variety of programmes for local broadcasting.
33 The representatives from the independent production houses concurred with ACCESS that there was a lack of Chinese Children’s programmes and that the current timeslot allocated for Childrens’ programmes on Channel 8 is not optimal. In addition, they said that programmes catered for a niche audience, such as Children’s, Elderly or Info-Educational programmes were usually not given prime timeslots or promoted adequately.
34 The Committee also learnt that filming with children is challenging as the production schedule has to take into account the children’s school curriculum time. In addition, ACCESS found out that there is a shortage of local media talents, including child actors, producers and scriptwriters entering into Chinese productions as many young Singaporeans’ grasp of the language is not strong. As such, the Committee feels that it would be useful if training classes are conducted to build up the pool of local media talents proficient in Mandarin. b) Community Perspective: Dialogue with Newspaper Editors, Social Workers and Students
35 Public insights into News Bulletins, Current Affairs & Info-Educational, Children’s, Variety and Entertainment programmes were obtained during the dialogue with the community representatives, comprising students and members from social and self-help groups held in June 07.
36 The community representatives noted that the various News Bulletins on both Channels 8 and U appear to be repeats of one another as they shared the same presentation style and format. They also found it unprofessional that entertainment news and programme trailers for upcoming programmes especially those belonging to the broadcaster, were often incorporated and promoted within the News.
37 For Variety and Entertainment programmes, the community representatives shared ACCESS’ views that there were too many sponsored and commercialised
programmes, especially those for beauty salons and slimming centers. They also found
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variety programmes such as “Stars, Beat it!” ( ² ) and “Makeover Pte Ltd” ( ) to be uncreative..
38 The community representatives felt that the proliferation of talent search programmes such as “ SuperStar” (Project Superstar) and “ SuperStar” (Campus Superstar) should take care not to fuel unrealistic expectations among youth about becoming celebrities. Noting that such talent search programmes received much
7 ACCESS REPORT 2006/2008
publicity and exposure, the community representatives expressed hope that quality and
well-researched programmes such as “ 6][\¨^ ’ (Rise of the Great Nation) could also be promoted as extensively.
c) Dialogue with SAFRA Radio Regarding its Bilingual Radio Format on 88.3JIA FM
39 During its term, ACCESS also met up with SAFRA Radio regarding its new bilingual programming format on its Chinese radio station, 88.3JiaFM, which was launched in June 2007. This includes a daily bilingual morning talkshow on weekdays and two English songs per hour on the station.
40 ACCESS holds the view that the standard of both Mandarin and English should be maintained within the bilingual talkshow. As 88.3JiaFM is predominantly a Chinese radio station, the Committee feels that while the entertainment and lifestyle information could be reported in English, important information such as News Bulletins, weather reports and traffic updates should only be aired in Mandarin. This would ensure that important messages are effectively conveyed to all listeners, especially those who are not conversant in English.
41 Noting the interest in bilingual programmes, the Committee feels that it would be interesting to feature foreigners who are learning Mandarin within TV and radio programmes. Such a programme could act as an alternative learning platform for people who are also learning Mandarin, and at the same time, inject more diversity and creativity into the local broadcasting scene.
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
42 From the observations about various genres of Chinese programmes, the following are ACCESS’ recommendation for local broadcasters: a) News Bulletins
43 The Committee takes the position that mistakes made during delivery of news should be corrected immediately to ensure that information imparted is factual and accurate. To help improve the standard of news delivery, the Committee also recommends that the news editors responsible for scripting the reports improve on their language and writing skills as well.
44 In order to encourage more viewers to watch tune into News Bulletins on TV and also to improve the quality of the Bulletins, ACCESS recommends that greater depth and analysis of news items could be provided within the News Bulletins, such as through interviews with various experts or persons related to the news items. ACCESS reiterates that all News Bulletins should have adequate coverage of both local and international news.
45 ACCESS is of the view that entertainment news and trailers for up-coming programmes need not be part of the regular News Bulletins as such information could be provided in other entertainment or lifestyle programmes. Instead, the focus should be on
8 ACCESS REPORT 2006/2008
more coverage of local and international developments, including more in-depth reporting. b) Current Affairs, Cultural and Info-Educational Programmes
46 While the broadcaster has shown effort in providing more Current Affairs, Cultural and Info-Educational programmes on TV, ACCESS feels that there is still room for improvement for more of such programmes to be shown. The Committee hopes that these programmes will be featured on a more regular basis on Channels 8 and U, and that they will be better scheduled and promoted so that more viewers would be aware of them.
47 To increase the range and choice of Chinese Info-Educational programmes available, ACCESS encourages MediaCorp TV to continue showing quality acquired Current Affairs, Cultural and Info-Educational programmes. The Committee also encourages MediaCorp to look into and emulate good programmes from other broadcasters and TV channels such as Radio Television Hong Kong, STAR TV’s Phoenix Chinese Channel and PBS in America.
c) Programmes for the Elderly
48 With the changes to the broadcast timing of “ {¤|R}¤z ” (Golden Age) to 1.30pm - 2.30pm on Saturdays, ACCESS feels strongly that more efforts should be put into providing programmes for the elderly on weekdays. Such programmes could include info-tainment content such as those on healthy eating habits; sports for elderly (e.g. Tai Chi); cooking programmes; and lifestyle content such as those on hobbies or handicraft. In addition, the Committee is also of the view that sufficient notice should be given to viewers when changes are made to the programming lineup so that viewers are kept informed. This is especially important for Elderly viewers as programmes catering to them are already limited. Sudden changes to the programme schedule will affect their viewing habits. d) Dramas
49 ACCESS recommends that drama serials should not exploit undesirable values, themes or scenes in order to gain more viewership. The continual presence of such negative themes, especially for long-form dramas which span a long broadcast period, will have an impact on viewers, especially when scheduled during Family Viewing Hours.
50 The Committee encourages the broadcaster to continuously provide a diverse range of drama serials on both Channels 8 and U, especially with the introduction of the new timeslots for drama serials on Channel 8. In addition, ACCESS would also like to urge the use of proper Mandarin within the dramas by minimizing the use of Singlish, as well as excessive colloquial and adulterated Mandarin. e) Variety and Entertainment Programmes
51 The Committee would like sponsored and commercialised variety programmes to be limited so that viewers would not be inundated with excessive advertising and sales messages.
9 ACCESS REPORT 2006/2008
52 ACCESS would also like to urge the broadcaster to exercise greater caution and discretion in the selection of visuals and clothing items used in locally produced variety programmes. For example, clothing with words which could offend the sensitivities of viewers should be avoided.
f) Children’s and Youth Programmes
53 The Committee would like to reiterate its recommendation for the broadcaster to introduce more Children and Youth programmes. In particular, ACCESS urges Channels 8 and U to have a daily timebelt for Children and Youth programmes, which could be from 5pm to 6pm.
54 ACCESS also recommends that besides English Children’s programmes, Children’s programmes in other languages should be also shown on Kid’s Central. In addition, Children’s programmes shown on Channel 8’s children belt could also be cross promoted on Kids Central so that the programmes could reach out to more young viewers.
55 In order to provide more programme choices for Children, ACCESS recommends that the broadcaster take a cue from successful Children’s programmes such as the highly popular “Hi 5” from Australia and adapts them into a Mandarin version for local context.
56 For Youth programmes, ACCESS recommends that TV coverage be given for
"ÿ
school events such as the National Secondary Schools Chinese Debate (
!
). In doing so, the broadcaster can tap into existing events rather than to spend additional resources to create new programmes. Such programmes would also be able to act as a platform for students to identify with and build up their sense of belonging to their schools.
57 The Committee is of the view that Youth programmes which are positioned as a
"î$# %'& platform for an exchange of views between youths and adults, such as “ £ ,
# ” (I Not Stupid Forum), should be presented appropriately in order to convey the correct values to impressionable youths especially when featuring sensitive topics such as sex. ACCESS suggests that professionals and counselors be always featured prominently to provide professional advice for youths.
g) Better Scheduling of Programmes
58 The Committee recommends strongly that all programmes shown during Family Viewing Hours be suitable for a general audience. Some examples of content unsuitable for broadcast during Family Viewing Hours, i.e. before 10pm, which were brought to the attention of the Committee include:
)(K5 *+ , (i) A music video – “ ” by local singer, Chew Sin Huey ( ) – showing
romanticised and glamourised images of suicide;
R6/.¡0 (ii) Channel U’s “ - ” (On the Beat 2) showing sensual and lap-top dancing techniques designed to improve the relationship between a couple; and
10 ACCESS REPORT 2006/2008
(iii) Ch 8’s drama “ ¤¥O¦R§ ” (Metamorphosis), containing graphic scenes of violence and brutality.
59 Where certain episodes of programmes contain images and scenes potentially disturbing for young children, ACCESS recommends that the broadcaster make use of viewing disclaimers to keep the viewers informed. It is, however the broadcaster’s responsibility to ensure that programmes during Family Viewing Hour remain suitable for a general audience.
h) Recommendations for Radio Programmes
60 Generally, for radio programmes, ACCESS recommends that all radio DJs should attend professional vocal and language training classes to build up their language expertise and professionalism so as to avoid mistakes in their delivery. For example, the Committee found that the standard of Mandarin on the Chinese music and infotainment radio stations needs to be improved, as some DJs have made mistakes in their delivery of the News Bulletins. ACCESS also observed that dialect and Singlish were sometimes used across the various radio stations.
61 In addition, the Committee recommends that training classes for presenters include a briefing on media ethics so that radio professionals are familiar with MDA’s programming guidelines and avoid topics which may offend listeners.
i) Penalty Framework
62 ACCESS notes that the Penalty Framework was introduced in 1998 and has remained unchanged for the past 10 years. It recommends that the quantum of fines be increased to remain an effective deterrent against breaches to MDA’s guidelines.
CONCLUSION
63 During its term, ACCESS has been encouraged by the feedback provided by both the Committee members and members of the public. Specifically, the Committee feels that the feedback provided gives the broadcasters a good sensing of community standards.
64 Acknowledging the impact and importance of the mass media to the community, ACCESS urges all broadcasters to constantly review and raise the quality of its content to stay relevant to changing expectations of the audiences. This is even more pertinent as audiences’ expectations will be heightened with increased exposure to more foreign content across the different media platforms.
65 In particular, the Committee holds the view that the Free-To-Air TV channels should not neglect the interests of the Elderly viewers and the promotion of Chinese culture and language among its young viewers, especially during prime timeslots.
66 ACCESS hopes that all broadcasters will take the recommendations into consideration in improving their offerings. This will lead to a more diversified and creative Chinese broadcast scene in Singapore.
67 Responses from the broadcasters to the Report can be found in Annex B.
11 ACCESS REPORT 2006/2008
Annex A
Chairman:
Associate Professor Lee Cheuk Yin ( 12 345 ) Associate Professor Dept of Chinese Studies National University of Singapore
Members:
Mr Chan Chee Pong ( 6$789 : ) Director Pace Strategic Business Consultancy
Mdm Claire Chiang ( ;<= >5 ) Managing Director Banyan Tree Gallery (S) Pte Ltd
Mr Chia Ti Yu ( ? @A9 : ) Manager Finance & Purchasing, ITE College East
¡ 9 : Mr Chia Wei Wen ( ? B ) Country Officer (PRC) Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Dr Chou Mei Ling ( CDE4 5 ) Consultant Psychologist Centre for Effective Living Pte Ltd Camden Medical Centre
Mr Gui Kai Chong ( F GH9 : ) Auditor Shangyew Public Accounting Corporation
Associate Professor Hao Xiaoming ( IKJLMNO ) Associate Chair (Academic), Head of Department, Electronic & Broadcast Media Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Mr Hee Theng Fong ( PQ RST ) Lawyer Hee Theng Fong & Co
Mrs Hwang-Lee Poh See ( 1UV >5 ) Chief Executive Officer/Principal Patson’s Learning Centre
12 ACCESS REPORT 2006/2008
Mr Leng Chin Fai ( WXY 9 : ) Executive Director Fei Yue Community Service
Ms Pang Cheng Lian ( Z[ \ >5 ) First Vice President & Special Assistant to the Chairman United Overseas Bank
Ms Peggie Chua ( ]^= >5 ) President The Teochew Drama Association and Event Project Director, PR Consultant
Prof Phua Kok Khoo ( _¡`ba NO ) Chairman & Editor-in-Chief World Scientific Publishing Co Pte Ltd
Mrs Tan-Huang Shuo Mei ( c d e>5 ) Director Communications & Service Quality, Singapore General Hospital
Ms Tan Miao Ling ( 6gfh >5 ) Principal Guangyang Secondary School
Ms Toh Shi Ling, Shirleen ( ijkl m ) Teacher Tanjong Katong Secondary School
Mr Wan Shung Ming ( noqp)9 : ) Executive Director Tin Sing Goldsmiths Pte Ltd
Mr Wong Lin Tam ( rst 9 : ) Principal Consultant Wang Media Consulting Pte Ltd
Ms Xie Hui Qun ( ?uv lm ) Marketing Executive SPBI (Asia-Pacific) Pte. Ltd.
¡ 9 : Mr Yong Yiam Woon, Steven ( wx ) Senior System Analyst Urban Redevelopment Authority
13 ACCESS REPORT 2006/2008
ANNEX B
The following are the responses from the broadcasters to ACCESS’ feedback and recommendations: a) MEDIACORP’S RESPONSE
Observation of Chinese Programmes
News
MediaCorp fully understands and notes the Committee’s concern about the quality of the News Bulletins and the newscasters’ delivery, and would be more mindful henceforth.
The broadcaster would like to assure the Committee that important news - local or international - would be adequately covered in all news belts regardless of the belts’ focus. In segregating the news belts, we are ensuring that repetition is minimized such that viewers are not made to sit through the same stories. The focus of the belt is planned with the audience’s availability in mind.
Current Affairs, Cultural and Info-educational Programmes
MediaCorp would like to thank the Committee for the commendation on Channel 8’s “ -
2435768¢9 K .¤041 ” (Celebration) and “ ” (Of Rites and Rituals) and Channel U’s “
!?#p$ ” (My Life, My Profession).
TUCV
Likewise for “ S ” (Good Morning, Singapore), MediaCorp would like to point out
that a revamp had been effected in March 2008. The newly added segments are y{z | }
(which keeps viewers informed about their legal rights), ~ g (which tells viewers
what the prices of the produce) and / (which is our very own Chinese book club).
We have also strengthened $ , which is now more updated and analytical (for instance, the team had linked up to Sichuan following the earthquake and to US for the
Obama-Hillary race). The $ has also been enhanced, with link between location and studio to allow real-time interaction.
Programmes for the Elderly
The programmes on Channels 8 and U cater to the mass audiences. Nonetheless, to cater to the specific group of elderly viewers who are more niche in their preferences and adopting the Committee’s previous suggestions, MediaCorp attempted to shift dialect operas to a more accessible time-belt on Saturday afternoons. The response was not encouraging and, as such, the opera time-belt was reverted back to Fridays (the same as Golden Age, which is targeted at senior citizens).
“ {K|Ç}z ” (Golden Age) will be split into 2 programmes, come October 2008. The Golden Stage, a favourite of the elderly viewers where they can see their peers perform,
14 ACCESS REPORT 2006/2008
will be extended to 1 hour. The information-providing bit would be extended into a half- hour magazine programme.
Dramas
MediaCorp notes the Committee’s feedback about the excessive violence in Channel 8’s
“ ¤ ¥"¦§ ” (Metamorphosis). The broadcaster would like to assure the Committee that it is mindful of the messages borne by its serials, which is why all of its serials bear very positive messages. The word “drama” entails vivid, emotional and dramatic elements the devoid of which, would fizzle interest. MediaCorp very much appreciates the Committee’s acknowledgment that our serials are ultimately of good morals and would further appreciate understanding that unlike single-episode dramas, serials’ plots would unravel over its length.
Variety Programmes
MediaCorp has taken note on the Committee’s concern on the influx of variety and info- ed programmes commissioned by beauty and slimming clients, and would be mindful of their execution.
Children and Youth Programmes
Strictly speaking, there is no provision for children’s programming on Channel U, which is targeted at viewers 15 years and above. Chinese programmes for children are consolidated on Channel 8 and MediaCorp has dedicated time-belts for kids’ programmes on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Unlike Central, which is focused on specific pockets of audiences, Channel 8 caters to all Chinese-speaking audiences, across all age-groups and from all walks of life. Catering to the needs of all our audiences makes it difficult for the channel to devote more time for kids’ programmes.
Key Recommendations
News Bulletins
News bulletins are brief accounts of news events featured prominently, meant to keep the viewers abreast about the goings-on. MediaCorp’s news bulletins do provide some
analysis, in the form of the segment “ ${ ”.
In response to ACCESS’ call for more depth and analysis within news bulletins, the
broadcaster explained that the in-depth analysis and reports of news events are covered
A7B<¢D :; by Current Affairs programmes such as “ @¢ ” (Focus), “ ” (Frontline) and “
” (Money Week), as we explore the events and their effects on Singaporeans.
Current Affairs, Cultural and Info-educational Programmes
MediaCorp notes the Committee’s encouragement to emulate good programmes of this genre from broadcasters internationally and in the region.
15 ACCESS REPORT 2006/2008
Programmes for the Elderly
MediaCorp would like to reiterate there will be an additional half-hour magazine programme (with contents similar to that recommended by the Committee) targeted at the elderly viewers. This would be in a new time-slot, on Thursdays, from October 2008.
There will be trailers to inform viewers about this programme as well as the 1-hour “ {¤|
}¤z ” (Golden Age) programme.
Dramas
MediaCorp has taken note of the Committee’s recommendation to continuously provide a diverse range of drama serials on Channels 8 and U, as well as the call for proper Mandarin usage.
Variety and Entertainment Programmes
Likewise, MediaCorp has taken note of the Committee’s reminder to exercise more discretion and greater caution when selecting the visuals and clothing items.
Children’s and Youth Programmes
Unlike Central, which is focused on specific pockets of audiences, Channel 8 caters to all Chinese-speaking audiences, across all age-groups and from all walks of life. Setting a kids’ time-belt between 5pm and 6pm daily would result in the exclusion of the housewives and other viewers who are available in that time pocket. Besides, half of the children population (who are in the afternoon session) would not be home during this time pocket.
MediaCorp notes the Committee’s recommendation to cross-promote our kids’ programmes on Kids’ Central and would work with them further on this. At the same
time, MediaCorp would like to mention that Channel 8 had previously aired a kids’ song
_ÚK and dance programme much like Hi-5. The programme was “A-ha Kids” ( ).
MediaCorp would like to reassure viewers that professionals’ and counsellors’ advice
have always been incorporated within programmes that involve the exchange of views,
"î$# %'& # such as “ £ , ” (I Not Stupid Forum),
Recommendations for Radio Programmes
The Chinese radio stations have always strived to maintain a high standard of language on air. The presenters on Capital 95.8FM have a good command of the language and the station continues to emphasize the importance of the language through its programmes. YES 93.3FM and Love 97.2FM have a bilingual audience and English is sometimes used in the broadcasts to cater to the needs of the listeners. Training by language teachers is also conducted regularly for all presenters.
MediaCorp Radio informed that workshops on compliance and code of ethics are conducted on an ongoing basis for all presenters.
16 ACCESS REPORT 2006/2008
Conclusion
MediaCorp would like to thank ACCESS for all the feedback and suggestions provided and would take note of all relevant points made. At the same time, MediaCorp would strive to continually improve and strike a balance in our programming, to take care of all stakeholders’ needs. b) SAFRA RADIO’S RESPONSE
Observation and Recommendations for Radio Programmes
SAFRA Radio agrees with the comments that as a predominately Chinese radio station, 88.3Jia FM will air important information such as News Bulletins,weather reports and traffic updates in Mandarin. SAFRA Radio will also look into the recommendation given by the Commitee to feature foreigners who are learning Mandarin within radio programmes.
For news bulletins, SAFRA Radio will take note of the Committee’s recommendations that news editor should improve on their language and writing skills. c) SPH UNIONWORKS’ RESPONSE
Observation and Recommendations for Radio Programmes
SPH UnionWorks holds the view that the mass media has the responsibility to use standard Mandarin. As an infotainment radio station, Radio 100.3FM has always see it as necessary to use standard Mandarin, especially within its News and info-educational programmes. The station feels that the use of colloquial Mandarin within its radio talkshows and lifestyle programmes would be able to appeal to listeners more.
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